Notice a theme? Within a couple weeks I’d visited Horse Canyon, Little Horse Canyon, and now here I was about to visit Horseshoe Canyon.
This was my lucky day. Not only was I joined once again by adventure buddy, Holly, but we met Rangers Will and Mike at the trailhead where they invited us to tag along.
I would have missed this ancient print if it weren’t for our new ranger friends.
And so much more they pointed out to us.
I even found some early blooms like this milkvetch.
Nature’s artwork is pretty amazing. Do you see the sculpted face?
A pictograph panel we might have missed had we not been with the rangers. This would be a trail worthy of ranger-guided tours. There is so much history. According to the NPS brochure, “artifacts recovered from sites in this area date back as early as 9000-7000 BC. Native American rock art . . . is most commonly painted in a style known as Barrier Canyon. This style is believed to date to the Late Archaic period, from 2000 BC to AD 500.”
Cottonwood trees mean water!
Lots of WOW factor on this hike. My imagination runs wild thinking of all the stories this artwork tells.
Sadly there are areas where the ancient art has been disrespected. However I’m happy to report, the damage is tiny in comparison to the treasures remaining. The NPS brochure says this area was used in the 1800’s by outlaws like Butch Cassidy, and again in the 1900’s by ranchers and prospectors. This area wasn’t added to Canyonlands National Park until 1971 when grazing and mineral rights were discontinued.
I called this area the kid’s gallery as the art was much more simplistic than other areas, almost like finger painting.
This might be the space alien gallery.
Spring!
Tent caterpillars. Creepy but cool to see the movement within the web.
Dinosaur prints.
According to the WOW guidebook, “this canyon is most well known for the Great Gallery, the single greatest display of prehistoric rock art in North America. The panel is 15 feet high and 200 feet in length. It bears more than 75 pictographs in dark red, brown and white. They were painted 2,000 to 8,000 years ago by Desert Archaic Indians, predecessors of the Ancestral Puebloans. The panel features life-size phantom-like figures in what is known as the Barrier Canyon style.”
Known as the Holy Ghost.
You can see where nature or human has damaged the rock wall.
Volunteer Ranger Mike gives size reference. I really enjoyed spending time with him and Ranger Mike. What a great day Holly and I experienced. It was much enhanced by them sharing their knowledge of the area. Thanks again!
Such a special canyon. One to be walked with thought of those who walked it before.
Hike Details:
- Date(s) Hiked: 3/18/17
- Mileage: 17.5 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain/Loss: about 3,000′
Tips:
- The Maze District has mostly 4×4 high-clearance rated roads. Getting to Horseshoe Canyon is an exception but be aware of your vehicle’s limitations and be prepared to take care of yourself.
- Preserve the past! Per the NPS brochure “Rock art is extremely fragile and can be destroyed by the oil in human skin.”
- This area is prone to flash floods; check on weather in advance
- Check on water availability in advance
Links:
Resources:
- NPS – Canyonlands National Park
- NPS – Canyonlands National Park, Hiking Trails
- Hiking from Here to WOW: Utah Canyon Country, by Kathy Copeland and Craig Copeland
Important Note:
Please remember to turn off location services or automatic geotagging when photographing rock art or other heritage sites- especially if you plan to post your photos in social media. Avoid showing the horizon or identifiable features in the background that would help people navigate to the area. Better yet- only post photos of public archaeology sites. Those sites can generally be identified by the presence of interpretive signs or appear in materials distributed by the land-managing agency. While remote and little-known sites may no longer protected by being difficult to find, easily accessible sites have been targets of vandalism for decades. Public education is our best defense- please spread the word: rock art (both prehistoric and historic), structures, and archaeological deposits are wonderful to visit but impossible to replace when they are damaged or destroyed. Please enjoy these treasures, but don’t destroy them. Source: Utah Heritage Stewardship Program
Jan's Jaunts and Jabberings 
Thank you Jan for this wonderful reminder of that day in Horseshoe Canyon. It is indeed a very special place made even more special by many of the visitor encounters I’ve had while volunteering there.
I really appreciate volunteers, and hope to someday find my niche. Your knowledge and enthusiasm helped make this a memory maker. Thanks again!
Wow is right, that is a very inspiring trip report! The rock art really makes one wonder about ‘those who came there before.’
I feel so fortunate to have found so many ruins and rock art in Utah and you truly can only imagine the communities living here long ago. It’s pretty cool.
You are so fortunate to have met those Rangers while you were out there. I wish I’d gotten to go out there with someone so knowledgeable— I missed the dinosaur footprints and don’t think we saw that many pictographs as you. It sure is a special place, unparalled for sure. I’m glad they are out there to protect it and teaching people its significance. One of our nation’s treasures.
The first print that was circled with rocks was right on the path. I thought it was someone making a heart and asked if they were going to remove. Then they showed me it was circling a print. The volunteer ranger had actually placed the rocks around the print. It was indeed a special day at a special place, one I’ll forever treasure.